Home for the Holidays
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: SPD It was their first Christmas. It was supposed to be special. But she had to work...across the country... SkyxSyd oneshot.


**Home for the Holidays**

"How's it going, honey?" Sydney Tate asked her husband of six months. She was standing in the driveway of their two storey home, watching as Sky hung up the Christmas lights.

She tried not to laugh when Sky turned back to her with a strand of lights all tangled around his upper body. "Not too well," Sky grunted back to her.

Sydney blew him a kiss. "I'm going back inside. It's eight degrees out here. When you're all done I'll make us some hot chocolate to warm you up."

Sky nodded and went back to work as Syd returned to the warm shelter of the house. She curled up on the couch and picked up her romance novel, slipping away into the quiet afternoon.

About an hour later, the phone rang. Sydney unfolded herself from the couch and went to answer, thinking it was probably her mother wanting a chat.

It was her manager. "I booked you to play a concert in New York on Christmas Eve," Nate Hale announced. "You'll do Christmas carols and MTV is going to broadcast it all over the world."

Sydney's face fell about ten feet. "I can't do a concert on Christmas Eve," she protested. "I have a husband now; we have to be together. It's our first Christmas, Nate; I won't."

"You have to, Sydney, it's publicity. You're making a comeback after four years of being away; your sophomore album is set to drop in February and your voice is all people hear on the radio. A Christmas concert is going to seal the deal for you."

"But what about Sky?"

"What about me?" an irritated looking Sky asked as he came into the kitchen.

"Sydney, you're a celebrity. He should have known stuff like this was going to happen when he married you. You two lovebirds can have a nice little Christmas in the Big Apple. You will be at that arena on the twenty-fourth come hell or high water." The line went dead.

"What was that all about?" Sky asked when Syd had hung the phone up. His instinct was to go to her side and just hold her, but there was something on her face that told him he was about to be extremely angry with her.

"That was Nate…I have to do a Christmas concert in New York." Syd looked apologetic and moved closer to him. "I'm set to perform on Christmas Eve, Sky."

"Christmas Eve?"

"I'm so sorry," Syd said hastily. "I don't want to at all; you know I'd rather be with you for our first Christmas."

"You always complain that I'm the one who works too hard," Sky said quietly. "But at least I'm always home for the important things. I can't believe you, Sydney."

Syd looked at him with sad eyes. "I don't want to go, Sky. But you could come with me. We could see the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. We could take one of those old fashioned carriage rides and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center…"

But Sky shook his head. "No, that's all right. I'd rather stay here."

"This isn't my fault, you know."

Sky had already left.

--

He dropped her off at the airport on the twenty-second. It had been two weeks since Syd had found about the stupid concert and Sky was still angry with her. She'd done everything she could think of to try and make things better with him, but her stubborn Sky refused to accept her apology.

He helped her get her bags taken care of and then hugged her briefly. "Have a safe flight. Call me when you get in."

"Sky…please don't do this. There's no place I'd rather be than at home with you, but the label promised I'd be there and I can't back out now. I'll make it up to you; I promise."

"See you in a few days, Syd. Good-bye."

Syd shook her head and walked away to the airport terminal, tugging her pink monogrammed suitcases after her.

--

Sky looked around the empty house miserably. The Christmas tree was brightly lit up with several strands of multicolored lights. Many beautifully wrapped presents were poking out from under the pine needles. The house was comfortably warm and there were little touches of Syd in the decorations throughout the rooms.

He missed his wife. He knew he shouldn't have overreacted the way he had. He knew that Syd had truly been sorry and that he should have gone with her like she'd offered.

Now it was Christmas Eve and he was all alone. No pretty wife to hold, no one to cuddle with. Just him and an empty house.

Sydney's concert was set to start in about an hour. He would watch the performance just so he could tell her how well she'd done when she returned home two days after Christmas, because he knew she would ask.

To kill some time, Sky made a pot of coffee and drank a mug slowly, looking out into the cold gray yard. If Syd was here she would probably be sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck, begging him to play the piano for her if she sang.

Then, when the Christmas carols were out of the way, they'd turn on some old Christmas cartoons and just watch. Syd loved the holidays, and every year she forced him to watch every special on TV. Secretly, of course, Sky didn't mind, so long as he got to be close to her.

And now she was three thousand miles away in New York City, singing those Christmas carols she adored to a crowd of loyal fans instead of to him.  
By the time he had finished his pot of coffee the concert was just about to start. Sky settled in on the couch, draping the pink and blue decorative throw blanket over his lap.

Sydney was just taking the stage when Sky turned on the TV. She sat down in front of the elegant grand piano set up on stage, arranging her sheet music. Then her lovely voice staring to sing. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas…just like the ones I used to know…"

She was beautiful. He'd always known this, of course; a blind man could see that Syd was gorgeous. She was just wearing a pair of jeans tucked into a pair of pale pink fuzzy boots, a pink sweater and a white jacket with a big fur lined hood, but the expression on her face was what really caught Sky's attention.

She was pouring all of her heart and soul into this performance, and that was very plain to see. She was doing this with the passion only Syd had- even though she hadn't wanted to.

When Syd reached the end of her set, she spoke into the microphone. "This last song is for my husband Sky. I'm so sorry I'm not there with you, baby." She looked back at the music as the lead singer of a popular boy band joined her on the stage for a duet. "I really can't stay…" she breathed.

"Baby it's cold outside…"

"I've got to go away…"

"Baby it's cold outside…"

That was their song. Plain and simple, that was their Christmas song. "I'm sorry I'm not there with you Syd," Sky murmured to the empty house.

--

Sky always woke up early on Christmas morning; it was a habit he'd had since he was a little boy. It didn't look like there would be much point in doing that this year, with Syd being away in New York. They would just postpone until she got back.

So he lay there for awhile, staring at the ceiling, missing his Syd when he thought he heard the front door open. He sat up, trying to think of who would just barge into his house when he heard his favorite voice in the world. "Sky?"

He raced down the stairs, catching Syd up in a big bear hug. "How did you get here? I thought you weren't coming home until the twenty-seventh."

"The president of the label offered to let me use the jet, and I wanted to surprise you. I needed this first Christmas with you just as much as you needed it."

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk. I know you didn't want to play the stupid concert, which wasn't stupid at all. You were great, Syd." He dropped his voice, "Especially when you sung our song."

"Well, it _is_ cold outside…"

Sky just grinned. "Sit down, sweetheart. I'll make us cocoa and then we'll exchange gifts." Syd shrugged off her coat and settled in on the floor, poking the stacks of boxes wrapped in pink paper. "No peeking," Sky scolded in a mock tone of voice as he prepared their hot chocolate in the kitchen. Syd just smiled, happy to see him so cheerful now that she was home.

He returned a moment later with two mugs. Sky kissed the top of her head as he sat down with her. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Me too," Syd replied. "Now for the most important part of Christmas: presents!"

When all the presents had been ripped open and many thankful kisses exchanged, Syd snuggled into Sky's warm arms again. "I have something else for you, honey."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well…you won't be getting it until about mid-August, if my math is right." She grinned up happily, watching as comprehension dawned on Sky's face.

"You're pregnant?"

Syd nodded, smiling for a brief moment until Sky's lips crashed onto hers.

"That's the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," Sky said when he broke for air.

"Merry Christmas, darling."


End file.
